Online Giving FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Online Giving?

Online Giving is an easy and convenient way to support the ministries of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. The benefits of Online Giving include the convenience of being able to give from anywhere at a time that is convenient for you, not having to write checks, and the ability to set up recurring donations so you don’t miss an opportunity to give when you are away from the church.

How Does Holy Trinity’s Online Giving Work?

Contributors click on the link that takes them from the church website to a secure donation page hosted by Vanco Services. Vanco is approved by the ELCA and is in use by over 10,000 churches nationwide. They are a secure site and PCI compliant. None of your banking or credit card information is passed onto the church.

Contributions can be set up in one of two ways:

1) One-time donations (no profile required) A contributor simply enters his or her name, address, payment method, payment amount and other information into required fields and then submits a donation.

2) Recurring donations (profile required) On the first visit to the donation page, a contributor creates a password-protected profile by entering his or her name, address, payment method and other required information before setting up a recurring donation. On future visits the contributor simply logs in to make, change or view donations without the need to re-enter personal profile information. Recurring payments can be set up as weekly or monthly.

For both methods the donors sees a printer-friendly confirmation page and may also request an automatic email confirmation.

Holy Trinity uses Vanco Services to process direct withdrawal donations. Vanco Services handles all of the security necessary for processing the transaction and then transfers the money into the church bank account. The church receives electronic notification about donations. Donations are entered into our financial system just as with donations by check or cash.

How secure is online giving?

Vanco Services provides a secure way to make a payment using the contributor's bank account or credit card information. This information is processed only on Vanco Services' secure system which is verified by GeoTrust, Inc. Vanco Services is a PCI (Payment Card Industry) Level 1 compliant service provider which means all transactions are handled in accordance with the most rigorous security standards.

How can I keep track of my online giving?

As in the past, the church will send you a regular giving statement which lists all donations you have given (online and in person). If you have an account with Vanco Services you can also receive record of donations through email. Electronic transfers will also show up on statements from your financial provider.

How do I participate in the offering collection if I am contributing via online giving?

If you wish, you may write “I’m giving online” on your offering envelope and place it in the offering plate. (Note - this is not necessary.)

Can I try out the online giving service by giving one time?

Yes, you may try online giving by selecting “one time” in the frequency drop box during the sign up process.

Can I make an anonymous donation?

There is no way to make an anonymous donation through online giving because Vanco Services does not have the ability to process anonymous donations. If you wish to mail an anonymous donation, please feel free to send it directly to the church office.

Is there any charge or fee to me for this service?

No, there is no charge to the donor. You select the dollar amount for your giving. That is the dollar amount that will be charged and your entire donation is tax deductible.

Note: The church pays a nominal fee (less than $1 total) to Vanco Services for each account set-up and each transaction; this is deducted from the donated amount. On credit card transactions the church also pays a 2.75% (less than 3 cents per dollar) processing fee that the donor has the option of adding to their donation.